Pam Barbour deserves elevation

16.FEB.07

Editor: I read in the February 9 edition of the Searchlight that Vincentian students of the UWI Mona Campus made a call to Prime Minister Dr. Ralph E. Gonsalves to make J. Pamela Barbour (Lecturer at CARIMAC, UWI and former Programme Manager of NBC Radio) St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Honorary Consul to Jamaica.

I wish in my humble capacity as a former student and former co-worker to publicly add my voice in support of this call.{{more}}

I am a beneficiary of Pam’s, (as she is affectionately known to us), exemplary care and love especially for Vincentian students at UWI, Mona. I have also benefited tremendously from her nurturing and leadership as an Announcer/Operator at NBC Radio, much of which were of invaluable benefit to me during my years as a student of CARIMAC and as Programme Manager.

Pam has been, and continues to be, a mother for most, if not all of us, who studied at that institution. During my time in Jamaica, she dedicated a significant portion of her busy schedule to make sure that all her students were comfortable and progressing well. She was never tired of helping us out emotionally, logistically or educationally. I remember her advising me to “ensure that you take the Media Management course; you may need it some day.” Surely, I did.

She was also instrumental in the successful Independence Programme, including a dinner, which was held by VINSA that year (1997). I am sure those attributes which I have mentioned have since been magnified several times, and that they are among the chords which struck the students’ chorus of support.

Pam has always taken on a voluntary liaison role, which I am sure she would carry over into her broader responsibilities of looking after the entire Vincentian community.

I fully applaud the idea, and I hope that cabinet would not only install her to the position, but would also move to have her serve in other diplomatic capacities outside of the Caribbean.

Paul S. Lowman – Broadcast Journalism Major,
Florida International University